Sunday, January 27, 2008

The Wife of Bath Websites

http://www.universalteacher.org.uk/poetry/wifebath.htm - This first website that I've found has been very useful in looking at the history behind the time of the tale. I particularly enjoyed a section when the Wife of Bath is compared to her fellow travelers. The men that we know of from the other parts of the tales - and suprisingly, other women (who are nuns.) Through discussion we have been comparing the Wife of Bath to normal women, but everything seems so much more extreme when spoken of in the reference of nuns.

http://www2.latech.edu/~bmagee/201/chaucer/wife_notes.htm - On this page there is a wonderful chart showing comparisons of Microcosm, Mesocosm, and Macrocosm; or the individual, society, and the universe. It shows the human dominence over animals, the husband's over the wife, and reason's of passion. However, all of this is opposite concerning the Wife of Bath. Her love of passion has over taken her reasoning, she has rebeled against her place with her husbands, and her (With her spurs) taking control over the horse.

http://www.wsu.edu/~delahoyd/chaucer/WBT.html - One thought brought up in these passages is that the Wife of Bath's monolauge about herself is a stream of consciousness. This is an interesting perspective, what if she wasn't dropping hints or revealing secrets but just thinking aloud? Also - the Wife of Bath is the first to speak in a section of travelers who talk to each other about marriage. This makes me wonder what her fellow travelers have said and what kind of tone her story set. This quote comes to mind: “Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools talk because they have to say something.” ~Saul Bellow